Do Dogs Really Smile?

By Alex Greenwood

If you ask an expert about whether dogs are capable of smiling, you'll probably get an answer that involves some sort of gobbldygoop and undoubtedly will involve the words behavior, submissive or instinct. But ask a dog owner the same question, and the answer will be an automatic affirmative.So the question is, do they or don't they. And if they do, why do they smile?

In wild animals such as wolves they often show an expression of a smile, but professionals have studied this and determined that this smile-like expression is actually indicating submission or nervous behavior to other wolves. Because dogs are really just domesticated wolves (very domesticated) this smile-like look shows that he accepts his lower position on the totem pole and is quite happy with it. He shows this by retracting the corner of his lips, pulling his mouth back into that silly face we like to call a smile.

I believe this smiley face is our dog's way of showing that he is happy with his life and that he has you to love and look after him. That's a good reason to smile. It has been noted that strong, confident, alpha-dogs rarely show this happy expression. The reason being that they are not happy being the submissive creature and think of you as their equal and have no desire to show you anything else. There is no need for the alpha-dog to try to please you, but sometimes you may see a small grin while he's getting a nice rub down or relaxed and dreaming. If they could forget for a while what tough dogs they are, they would probably smile much more (sort of like humans)!

Watch out for smiles that come with teeth. When a dog bares his teeth, he is definitely not showing submissiveness. This type of smile is telling you to "back off or you'll be sorry"!

I think we all know that our domesticated dogs will do just about anything for love and attention, and they can learn anything they like. Is there any doubt then, that when our dog realizes that he gets extra rewards or attention when he makes a smiley face, he will remember and see if it will work the next time. And the next, and the next . . .

You can't force a smile because they also know that sometimes the things they have to do outweigh the reward, so while you may be able to get your dog to smile on command with lots of practice, you won't find many wolves rolling on their back and waiting for their belly rub!

The decision is up to you. Does your dog smile because he's happy with his lot in life or do you think it's because it's an expression that's hard wired into their brain. Something tells me that if you've ever owned a dog, you're going with the first one.

About the Author:

Alex has been an avid pet lover her entire life. She has a in-depth knowledge of pretty much every type of pet and their behaviors. She offers pet advice and product reviews on her website,including Should You Feed Your Dog Table Scraps plus you can sign up for a free pet tips and tricks newsletter or visit Henri The Hound, an awesome online pet store for cool and unique gifts for your pets.

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